The Collector
by emmareden
Summary: Starting at season 4, an explanation of where Ruby is and Cruella's interest in the young werewolf. Story-based rather than ship-based for now at least. ] Ruby, Granny, Emma, Belle, Cruella de vil, Snow plus.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I've been super sad about the complete absence of our favourite werewolf, Ruby Lucas. Everyone is probably sick of me whinging about it, so I decided to get creative about it. Especially since Cruella De Vil is in it now, it just SCREAMS for Ruby's comeback. So if A&amp;E won't do it, I'll just do it myself! All canon up to the start of season 4, where Ruby decides to take off on a little adventure to New York and return around the start of 4B! Obviously, we still don't know huge amounts about Cruella so I've taken liberty with her powers and stuff. Also taken liberty with the way the town line works.**

Ruby was surprised that she missed Storybrooke but she did. New York had been interesting, sure, and she'd never really pegged herself for the homesick type but apparently she was. She'd missed the quaint town. She'd missed her Granny's quick wit, she'd even missed Snow's overly positive attitude. She'd missed Belle's book recommendations and even the snotty customers at the diner. So, now she was behind the wheel and heading home over a week earlier than she'd planned to. There was one thing she wanted to do though, before she headed back to Granny's to surprise her.

She pulled over a little outside of town; she figured she'd pick her car up in the morning. She hopped out and looked to the moon, smiling. She quickly made her way into the woods and shed her red cloak.

After stretching her paws out in front of her quickly and arching her spine, she once again looked to the sky and let out a long howl.

She heard a twig snap behind her and turned around on instinct.

"Well, what have we here?" the woman picked up the red cloak, "You must be the old bag in the diner's granddaughter."

Ruby didn't know what it was exactly about this woman, but she had an uneasy feeling. Perhaps it was the fur coat draped over her shoulders or the confidence in her voice. Perhaps it was the look in her eye or the fact that she didn't seem at all scared of the wolf before her.

Ruby growled lowly, a snarl curling her lips up to show sharp teeth.

The woman merely laughed and approached the wolf. Ruby held her ground; she wasn't going to back away from this ignorant woman, she could tear her throat out in an instant. Then the woman bent down and Ruby finally stepped backwards.

It was too late. A green haze was entering her nostrils and she felt dizzy. Her eyes slid out of focus and the last thing she saw was a smirk on that woman's face. Now she knew; she'd heard stories, myth's of a woman who could control animals with her breath who was a collector, it was her; Cruella De Vil.

* * *

Ruby awoke on cold stone. She felt something heavy on top of her, opening her eyes she saw it was her cloak. She held her head, still feeling a little light-headed. Sitting up slowly, she looked at her surroundings.

_This wasn't good,_ she thought.

This was really her worst nightmare. Caged with no way out. There were stairs outside the cage; they must be underground. In a bunker, maybe.

"Awake, are we?"

Ruby snapped to attention, her eyes settling on that evil woman, "You can't keep me here," she said, her hands gripping the bars, "People will be looking for me."

"Really?" Cruella sounded amused, "I'm quite sure I heard your Granny say you weren't back until next week, darling."

Ruby's mouth went dry, "I called her this afternoon. She knows I'm back early."

Cruella laughed and leant forward, "Then why did she say that less an hour ago?"

"What the hell do you want?" Ruby growled.

"Where's the rest of your pack?" Cruella asked.

Ruby frowned, "Pack… there is no pack. Just me."

Cruella scrutinised the other woman's face finding no trace of a lie, "A lone wolf? No other came over in the curse?"

"No," Ruby shook her head, "Just me and Granny. But," she rushed quickly, "Granny doesn't turn anymore, she hasn't in – "

Cruella waved a hand dismissively, "I know, darling. So, you really are the only one here then," she mused to herself, "I suppose one coat is better than none, though I would have preferred to deck out my entire wardrobe. It is getting a little…1961," she ran her hands through her coat with a shrug.

Ruby practically snarled, "You're sick," she spat, "And the full moon's over. You should have skinned me when you had the chance."

"True, I should have," Cruella nodded, "My greed for more of that beautiful wolf-skin hasn't exactly paid off. Still, fashion is an art and they say art takes time."

Ruby sighed in frustration, "You call _that_ fashion?" she sneered.

"Rude," Cruella rolled her eyes, "Clearly no fashion sense," she looked at Ruby's outfit, "Really, even for this world you – "

"Save it," Ruby interrupted, "I'm not taking fashion advice from someone like you."

The thought of the poor animals that went into making that hideous coat she wore so proudly made Ruby feel nauseous.

"Oh, your kind do stick together, don't they?" Cruella quirked an eyebrow, "Yet you have no pack… how sad for you," she took pleasure in the sadness of her prisoner's eyes.

Ruby growled, "I told you I'm not going to turn, so forget your stupid coat and let me go."

Cruella leant close to the bars, "You're not going anywhere."

"Wh – "

"There will be another full moon," Cruella shrugged, "And when that time comes, darling, you will turn and I will get my latest fashion accessory," she smirked before she turned on her heel and walked up the stairs.

Ruby slammed a fist into the bars and immediately regretted it. Cradling her fist, she ground her teeth to stop the tears spilling out. If she could transform, the wolf would at least have a chance but in human form, it was impossible. She could do nothing but wait. There were four weeks until the next full moon… and by the end of next week, hopefully Granny would notice she was missing.

She bundled her red cloak into her arms and sat in the corner with it pulled tight to her chest.

All she could do was hope.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Granny, can I grab – "

"Two grilled cheese's, got it," Granny nodded at Hook.

"Thanks, love," Hook smiled.

Granny rolled her eyes. She supposed she could see what Emma was attracted to, once you got over all the villainous years and the hook. The young couple seemed happy; it was nice. The sheriff deserved that.

The town had seemed surprisingly quiet though since their new visitors had arrived. The lack of monsters and curses was somewhat eerie.

"Hey, Granny, you spoken to Ruby lately?" Emma asked, leaning on the counter, having disentangled herself from Hook for the moment.

"Not since last week," Granny replied as she wiped the counter, "She checks in every week or so. She's back next week though, if she can tear herself away from the streets of New York."

Emma nodded, "Yeah… so she doesn't know about… our new visitors?"

Granny frowned, "No, she doesn't. I figured I'd just fill her in when she arrived. For now, everything seems…quiet, I didn't want to worry her unnecessarily."

"Right," Emma nodded slowly, deep in thought.

Perhaps she was wrong about the quiet, Granny thought as she studied the sheriff.

"Is there something I need to know?" Granny asked, putting her cloth down.

Emma sighed, "It's just, I don't know these guys deals or anything but in the Disney movie…"

"Oh, god," Granny huffed under her breath.

"Yeah, yeah I know, they're not always accurate," Emma smiled, "But Cruella kinda like… killed dogs and made coats out of them. It was really sick and I just thought you guys… Well, I mean don't tell Ruby I called her a dog, I know she hates that, but wolves… " she shrugged, "I thought it was worth mentioning, that's all."

Granny handed over the grilled cheese, "She does wear that ridiculous coat," she thought, "I'll talk to Ruby next time she checks in. Don't tell her I said this, but I really do miss that girl."

Emma grinned, "Yeah, I bet you do. Thanks, Granny."

* * *

Ruby woke up with a start, sitting upright as she caught her breath. She kept thinking things couldn't possibly get worse, then she'd have the nightmares and then she'd wake up, still in this awful place. It didn't help she'd woken up to find that cow had taken her red cloak; the only thing she found comfort in in this shitty cell.

She'd tried early on to scream for Granny, praying against all hope that she would hear her. Granny still had her wolf-hearing but it was fading. Besides, Cruella had just knocked her out with…whatever that weird, green mist was. She didn't like that stuff. It freaked her out. From the myths she'd heard, she could only control animals, but being a Halfling, Ruby figured she must be vulnerable, even in human form.

She was starting to lose track of time, there were no windows down here. Everything was merging into one. It felt as though it had been weeks, but realistically, it must have only been days. She could barely sleep on the hard stone floor and when she did, she was haunted by images of wolves being hunted and skinned. Images of Cruella parading her new wolf-skin coat around. Worse, the images of a wolf tearing out that horrible woman's throat.

The air felt stale. It was always cold. If she was honest, she was scared. Like really scared. But she wasn't going to let that bitch see that.

It had happened before; when she'd been running through the Enchanted Forest and been cornered by a hunting party. It wasn't the full moon but she was terrified and surrounded. She'd just wanted to escape, for the hunters to leave her alone. Before she knew it, she'd turned into the snarling wolf and ripped her attackers to shreds.

Now, she had managed to break apart this cell meant for the weakness of humans. But getting up the stairs, she was met with a hard steel door that no amount of clawing and ripping and snapping could break through. She tried, she really tried. Then she heard footsteps; heels, her capturer. She couldn't stay in wolf form with that witch approaching. She calmed herself down the best she could and transformed.

"Ah, someone has been having a play," Cruella smirked in amusement.

Ruby lay amidst the broken cell and in moments, it had been magically reformed around her.

Ruby knew she had to buy herself all the time she could and so she told the wolf itching at her insides to calm down. It was okay. Someone would come.

"Hungry, wolf?" she slid a dog-bowl through the bars.

Ruby flicked her eyes up, "Don't you own any other clothes?" she was sick of seeing that stupid coat, screaming at her. Mocking her; this is what you're going to become. You're going to die and for what? A noble cause? No, a sick fashion statement.

Cruella smiled wickedly, "Well, why do you think I've captured myself a wolf?"

Ruby pushed the bowl of food back towards the bars with her foot roughly.

"The manners of a dog," Cruella rolled her eyes.

"I'm not a dog," Ruby growled, "I'm a human. You're a goddamn monster."

The smile never left Cruella's face, "Oh, darling _I'm_ a monster?" she mocked, "Well, now, didn't I hear rumour that you killed someone? A boy, I believe, a childhood friend? Perhaps a lover?"

Ruby tried to keep her face neutral but she _was_ human and it took her a moment to compose herself. That was enough to satisfy Cruella.

"I'll leave that for you," Cruella gestured to the bowl of food casually, "You'll get hungry. You can't transform if you die of starvation, darling."

Ruby glared at her back as she walked away. Then she switched her gaze to the bowl of food. She could smell it. Her stomach rumbled loudly and her mouth began to water. On hands and knee's she crawled over to the food. Diced steak. Rare. Just the way she liked it. Her stomach rumbled again.

She picked it up. She placed it on the outside of the bars and pushed it as far away as she could, out of her own reach. She wasn't going to give that woman the satisfaction. She wasn't broken. Not yet.


End file.
